


A World Apart

by AnitaP



Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: Angst, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-25
Updated: 2018-08-12
Packaged: 2019-05-27 19:41:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15031844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnitaP/pseuds/AnitaP
Summary: Aquaria was hoping that the end of the show would also be the end of her pathetic little crush on Miz Cracker. But going on a tour in a foreign country only brought them closer. And Aquaria soon found out that the feelings might not be so one-sided after all.





	1. The beginning

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Basically the background is set after Aquaria brought home the crown. A few season 10 girls are going on a national tour in Australia right after the show finished. This is unfortunately going to be a super cliché story so I apologies in advance. Also I haven’t written a fanfic in years so this might be a little rough around the edges. Hope you still enjoy it though!

Chapter 1 

Aquaria didn’t think she was going to see Miz Cracker again after the show ended.

But then there she was. Her signature blonde hair, her overdrawn pink lips and those dark brown eyes. Those damn eyes she lost herself in so many times but was never brave enough to admit. 

Aquaria shook her head ever so slightly and sighed. She thought that maybe after the show, she won’t be forced into a room everyday with Miz Cracker, so she won’t be forced to deal with those unsolved feelings that she had been having for the older queen since day one she walked into the work room. Aquaria may seem confident and all, but only god knows the amount of insecurities she never speaks of, especially when it comes to romance and relationships. 

She knew Miz Cracker a while before the show through Bob the Drag Queen. She never thought too much about it until the day she enter the show and saw the familiar face sitting around the table. There’s something about Miz Cracker’s smile on that day that made Aquaria’s heart soft, and gave her the feeling of butterflies in her stomach that people often talked about. She tried to keep her head in the game and ignore the feelings, just like how she dealt with her other crushes before. 

But this time, the feelings were not going anywhere. They were in fact getting stronger and stronger as days went by. Aquaria blame it on the tight schedule and the sheer amount of stress she was going through. She stayed away and avoided as much interaction as possible with the older queen. 

It’s going to be ok. She told herself. She will never find out. And it seemed to be working out until that one night.

It was the night Aquaria was announced as the winner of snatch game. All girls decided to throw a little party among themselves. And of course Aquaria had a bit too much to drink. 

She was so happy, so proud of herself. Sure, it was not her first win, but winning snatch games meant so much more to her. She finally proved to people, and to herself that she’s not some young skinny bitch who only knew how to beat a face and wear a pretty dress. 

She grabbed another drink off the bar, trying to get to the other side of the room without stumbling too much. Suddenly, she tripped over her own heels and fell right into a warm embrace. Her drink was spilled all over herself unsurprisingly. What a disaster, she thought as she tried to stand up and apologies. 

“Are you ok?” A voice came from the person who was still holding her, a voice that Aquaria would recognise in a million years, a voice that made her completely forget whatever she was doing. 

Aquaria slowly lifted her head up, and the second she made contact with the older queen’s worried eyes, all the emotions, the feelings that she had supressed deep down in her heart over the past weeks started to escape and slowly take over every inch of Aquaria’s body. Now just staring at the older queen, Aquaria made a quick decision with some that she would soon regret. 

Without answering Cracker’s question, Aquaria closed her eyes and pressed her lips against Miz Cracker’s, not caring other girls’ jaw dropping reactions around them. The warm sensation coming from the older queens lips brought a feel of joy that Aquaria never felt before… until she realised that Cracker was not kissing her back.

Aquaria pulled away almost immediately, suddenly felt more sober than ever. She stepped backwards, mumbling some half-hearted apologies about being drunk, before she quickly turned around and ran away from the scene of crime. Tears raced down her face silently. She made sure the other queen didn’t see it.

After that night there was no talking between them except for when the producers specifically asked them to do it on camera. And then Cracker was gone. And not long after that Aquaria brought the crown home. Then she was busy making appearances in different clubs every night to really think about Cracker. It all felt like a dream. 

A couple of days ago, she was informed by her manager that she would be going over to Australia on a national tour. Australia! She jumped out of bed and screamed. She always wanted to go to Australia! 

“You will be touring with a few girls from your season.” Her manager said, without knowing that this statement had completely shattered Aquaria’s excitement. 

“Will Miz Cracker be there?” After a long stop, Aquaria tried to sound as casual as possible.

*  
And now at the airport, Aquaria stared at the older queen who’s chatting with 3 other Season 10 sisters from a distance, with the same smile that she remembered. 

What was she thinking? Of course Miz Cracker would here. She was one of the most loved queens. Aquaria firmed her grip on the handle of her suitcase as a mixed feeling of excitement and nervousness gradually creeped up on her.

Get it together Aquaria. It’s just another two weeks. She took a deep breath and began to make her way towards the other girls.

Monet was the first one to notice her existence when she was just half way through. “Hey girl!” Monet yelled and waved almost aggressively, which result in Aisa and Kameron turning to her direction.

Then it was almost like in a typical slow motion scene in a movie, Cracker finally followed through Monet’s movement, her eyes searched briefly before they landed on Aquaria. The remain of her smile widened as she made eye contact with the younger queen.

Oh. Hell. No. Aquaria had definitely underestimate how much of a baby she was when it came to confronting her own feelings. She panicked and broke the eye contact, too fast for her own liking. 

This is going to be the end of me. Aquaria swallowed hard as she got closer and closer to the girls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Ughh the more I read this chapter the more unhappy I got with my own writing... but I decided to post it anyway. I’m already half way through the second chapter so hopefully I can upload that in a few days – please leave a comment!


	2. The Living Situation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I don’t know why… but both Cracker and Aquaria are going to be insecure and somewhat passive about their feelings in this story… lol we will see how this goes.

Long flights were never aquaria’s thing. Doing it while being stuck in a tight black dress with a face full of make up only made it worse. She’d tried to sleep the minute the plane left the ground, only find herself being wide awake 10 minutes later. 

And don’t even get her started on how Cracker was just one seat away from her. Aquaria didn’t dare to even slightly tilt her head to the older queen’s direction until she’s one hundred percent sure that Cracker was asleep.

But now Aquaria found herself staring at the older queen uncontrollably. Her mind wondered back to the night that she had drunkenly kissed her. She’s curious about Cracker’s thoughts on that. Did she like it? Surely not. She remembered that Cracker literally froze in her track - she cringed a little just thinking about it again, and made a mental note that she would never get herself that wasted again. 

“Aquaria girl, what are you looking at?” Monet’s face appeared and blocked Aquaria’s vision, as she’s the only one sitting in between Aquaria and Cracker, she handed a piece of paper to Aquaria, “This is our schedule for the tour.”

Aquaria ignored Monet’s question, and started scanning through the schedule. Hmm. A lot more gigs than she expected actually. Not only they’d be doing full on shows in big cities, they would also be making appearances in some local gay bars along the east coast in support of pride month in Australia. 

Aquaria shoved the schedule in her bag carelessly like she did with her other things. She still can’t stop thinking about Cracker. What’s the worst that can happen? She asked herself. They were not close friends to start with. And after that drunk incident they were barely talking – it’s not like she’s got any more to lose. She looked out of the window and lost in her thoughts again.

*

After they finally landed and gathered all their luggage in Sydney, the queens soon found themselves in front of a giant bus. Apparently the production team had decided that due to the special circumstances of the tour, the queens would be better off traveling and sleeping on a tour bus while they are on the east coast.

Monet was the most excited among them all. She threw her luggage in the storage area and jumped on the bus to explore. Aquaria fell behind as she tried to push all her 4 large suitcases into the cramped storage area.

“Here, let me help.” A familiar voice came from behind, Aquaria found her stomach twitched involuntarily as she realised the owner of the voice.  
She didn’t have gut to turn around. She simply stepped aside to give Cracker some room. She played with her fingers anxiously, but at the same time, she couldn’t stop herself from a casting sneaky glance at what Cracker was doing. 

Aquaria never noticed that even though Cracker was tiny, she actually had quite a muscular built. From where Aquaria was standing, she could make out the fine lines on the older queen’s arms as she attempted to move around the suitcases. 

“All good now. Let’s go.” Cracker dusted off her hands and climbed on the bus. Aquaria followed and secretly hoped that the older queen didn’t catch her spying.

The inside of the bus was rather fancy, there was a giant new couch and a decent sized TV at the entrance, and a fully equipped kitchen right next to it. Behind that, there seemed to be a sleeping area where all the other queens were now gathered. Aquaria and Cracker headed towards them in complete silence. 

“G’day!” Cracker and Aquaria were the last two greeted by the bus driver. Aquaria couldn’t help but chuckled a little at the heavy Australian accent. 

“This was originally a family bus, so unfortunately, two of you are going to have to share the master bedroom at the very back of this bus.” The bus driver informed the queens. “But you also get to have your private bathroom that only the two of you share.”

And of course Monet was the fastest to react as she jumped onto one of the single bed near her immediately and claimed her spot. Asia also made her move by snatching her own wig and throwing it on the bed on top of Monet. Monet scream laughed at Asia’s action as the two of them proceeded to throw some shade at each other. 

“Hey, I’m really sorry. But you guys know me…” Kameron rubbed her hands together anxiously while talking to Aquaria and Cracker. “I don’t think I’d be comfortable sharing a bed with anyone, I’m sorry but I hope you can understand it.”

As the very last single bed was claimed by Kameron, all queens turned and looked at Aquaria and Cracker simultaneously in realisation of the situation. An awkward silence settle over them, Monet studied the couple in front of her briefly before letting out a giggle. 

“Well then, I’m gonna go ahead and take a shower in my private bathroom.” Aquaria broke the uncomfortable silence, making her way to the bedroom, she kept her head up, looking as stunning as ever, but somewhat troubled . 

“This is going to be interesting.” Monet got off her bed and walked to her best friend Cracker’s side. “I remembered that night she…”

“I know.” Cracker interrupted, not wanting Monet to bring that up in front up everyone. But she could tell that clearly that’s exactly what’s on everyone’s mind right now.

“What are you going to do?” Asia being the mother figure that she was, shot Cracker a concerned glance.

“I’m not going to anything! You guys put me in this position goddamn it!” Cracker let out an airy laugh, and prayed that a joke could ease the tension that had filled the room around her. 

Another weird silence fell upon them. No one said anything because they were hoping to get a more sincere answer from Cracker.

“I honestly don’t know what I can do about that night.” Cracker sighed, she grabbed her bag on the floor and began sluggishly making her way to where Aquaria went. “He is still just a boy, I mean, I shouldn’t be doing anything.”

“No he is not.” Cracker heard Aisa’s rather serious voice coming from behind. “He is a grown man who is entitled to his feelings and desires.” 

Cracker didn’t stop walking, but her body visibly trembled at Asia’s words.

“And so are you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m fully aware that the idea of “sharing a room on a tour bus” has been done a million times in other pairs before, but like I said this is going to be a super cliché story haha. 
> 
> Another fairly short Chapter as I still haven’t made up my mind about where the story is going. Again please leave a comment it means so much to me!


	3. A World Apart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big THANK YOU to people who spent time reading and commenting - I'm honestly so surprised that people actually like this! I have a rough idea where the story is going now and hopefully the chapters will start getting longer.

While Aquaria was in the shower, Cracker started taking off her own make up. She looked into the mirror as she saw herself slowly turning into Max. She always used 99 percent alcohol to go over her face as the very last step. She told everyone that it’s because alcohol would get rid of all the oil on her face. But deep down she knew, the burning sensation when the chemical liquid touched her face was the only moment that could pull Max back into the reality, the reality where he was nowhere near as confident as he’s letting on, the reality where he never knew how to express his feelings without being extremely awkward, the reality where he would never be able to look into the mirror without a thousand negative thoughts running through his head.

Sometimes he thought life would be way easier if he could live as Miz Cracker forever. 

And now there’s just one more thing on his mind. 

Max could hear the faint sound of water running in the shower behind the closed door, and the thought of a naked Giovanni sent shivers down his spine. He pulled out his phone and went on social media just to distract himself from picturing more inappropriate images.

He tapped on twitter and scrolled down to see his recent tweet about touring with the girls in Australia, a few comments instantly caught his eyes, apparently people were still not over her reaction to Aquaria’s winning. One comment specifically asked if he was being bitter about it. 

It all started during the night when the finale was aired. Someone managed to capture a short clip of him in drag with Katelyn in a bar, sitting still while everyone else was jumping up and down and yelling Aquaria’s name when she won. The video was shared on every social media platform with millions of views. So many people had since called her names, fans havd claimed that they were let down by her rather cold reaction. But no one knew what went through her mind at that moment.

Of course she was happy that Aquaria snatched the crown. She knew full well that Aquaria was the most deserving winner. In fact she couldn’t be more proud of Aquaria. Right before the winner was announced, she was so prepared to jump on the table and make the biggest scene by screaming and showing support for her so-called frienemy of the season. But when the time actually came, when Ru finally calmly pronounced the name “Aquaria”, when the world around her was turned upside down with intelligible and ear-piercing screams, Cracker strangely found herself not being able move an inch, or make a single noise for that matter. 

She didn’t know what came over her. It certainly was not just disappointment in herself, there was this unfamiliar sorrow that came out of nowhere. What felt like a sharp pain cut across her chest when she witnessed Aquaria parading down the runway on the big screen, knowing that she was only a few clubs away at that moment, but couldn’t help feeling that they were a world apart.

“Hey, I’m done with the bathroom if you want to use it.” The sudden sound of Giovanni’s voice pulled Max back from the unpleasant memories.

“Thanks, just a minute.” Max replied without looking up. In fact, he didn’t want to look up after what just went through his mind.

“I’m just going to see if there’s any food in the kitchen, I’m starving. You want anything?” Giovanni shuffled a little closer to Max. The faint smell of Giovanni’s coconut shampoo lingered in the air, making Max forget how to breath for a second.

“Um, yeah, anything would be fine actually.” Max replied with his eyes glued on his phone screen. 

After hearing the door shut again, Max decided to take a break from the toxic social media. He instead went to check the tour schedule. First show was set late night tomorrow in one the most famous gay bars in Sydney. He also noticed there were a few nights that not all girls would be performing together. Aquaria, Asia and Kameron would be involved the 10s across the board show that’s exclusively designed for queens who made to finale, while Cracker and Monet would be in a nearby bar performing their regular numbers. 

_What a great way to remind me that I’ll never be good enough to stand next to Aquaria_. Max sighed heavily, shaking his head and trying to stop him from drowning in these dark feelings.

“I found some bread, and this thing.” The door opened slightly and interrupted Max’s thoughts, Giovanni’s slim body squeezed through. He brought few slices of bread on a plate, and small black jar with a yellow label on it. “It looks like chocolate.”

Max took the jar in his hand, reading the label briefly before letting out a small laugh. “it’s called vegemite, and yes, it tastes just like chocolate.” 

“I thought so!” Giovanni didn't seem to notice the sarcastic tone in Max's voice, his eyes sparkled with excitement. He shuffled to Max’s side fast and practically snatched the jar from Max’s hand like a child discovered his favourite new toy. “It’s a weird name though.”

“Why don’t you give it a try.” A sly smile slowly appeared on the older man’s face. He said encouragingly, “I’m sure you will love it.”

The younger man twist opened the jar and dug the spoon deep into what he believed was chocolate until he had a spoonful, he then proceed to shove the whole spoon into his mouth and began to chew.

Max watched Giovanni’s pretty little face puckered up just after a few seconds of chewing, the younger man’s eyes widened and even became a little watery as he chewed once last time. He ran into the bathroom and the sound of him spitting out violently was soon audible to everyone on the bus.

“OH, MY, GOD.” Max finally burst into hysterical laughter. He threw himself on the bed while yelling to the bathroom. “I can’t believe you just ate a spoon full of vegemite.”

“That’s not chocolate!” Giovanni emerged from the bathroom with a hand towel still wiping his mouth. He walked to the side of the bed where Max was lying, lips slightly pouted, “you lied to me, you shady bitch.”

“It’s funny to see you suffer.” Max replied jokingly. They hadn’t had an easy conversation like this in what felt like forever. 

Max was also finally paying attention to the fact that younger man just got out of shower not long ago: his dark hair was sticking out in all directions with water still dripping from the end occasionally; his skin looked ever so pale and smooth in a simple white shirt and a pair of black sweatpants, right now his eyes were narrowed, head tilted to the side while his arms were crossing over his chests in an adorable way. 

He really was the cutest thing on this planet. Max suddenly felt the urge to pull the taller man into a tight hug while running his hands on his soft smooth skin.

But he didn’t. Instead, he lay there, and his smile disappeared as he tried to push these thoughts and images out of this head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll try my best to update more often and please let me know what you think!


	4. The First Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SO SORRY THIS TOOK FOREVER!

The night rolled around a lot faster than Max expected. September was already the beginning of spring but the weather in Sydney was still surprisingly chilly. Cold wind sneaked into the room, lightly kissed Max’s face before creeping under his shirt. He shivered as the shirt he wore suddenly felt a lot thinner than it was. Standing on his tip toes, Max reached up and shut the tiny window on the ceiling. 

Everyone was out exploring the new city and getting dinner. Max on the other hand, chose to stay back because he wanted to put together a look for tomorrow’s first show - at least that’s what he told everyone. Right now he found himself sitting on the bed in front of the TV, not paying any attention at all to the boring romantic film that’d been playing for past couple of hours. A big blond wig was held delicately in his hand as he attempted to finish styling the signature Cracker hair. 

An old school song drew Max’s attention to the TV for the first time. It seemed that after 2 whole hours of arguing and misunderstanding, the two boys in the movie decided to admit their love for each other, and were finally hugging and crying in happiness. 

It must be so nice to have someone special again. Max sighed as he carefully brushed out one side of the wig. It had been way too long since Max had a significant other by his side, so long that he couldn’t quite recall the last time his stomach flip-flopped while sharing a kiss; the last time he fell asleep in a safe, warm embrace; the last time someone looked into his eyes with the amount the of love that could easily last till the end of the world. 

And out of nowhere, the memory of Giovanni pouting and whining about the vegemite situation before he left with the other queens a few hours ago entered Max’s mind as he watched the credit rolling. Max grinned like a fool, licking his lips that were slightly chapped due to the cold and dry weather.

He took one final look at the finished hair and decided that it was glamorous enough for Miz Cracker. He gently placed the hair on the bedside table before lying down and wrapped himself in the blanket like a cute burrito, hoping that he had left enough space for the younger man when he came back. He reached out one arm, turning off the TV and light, letting darkness and emptiness completely take over the room, and his mind. 

And when the clock on his phone finally ticked over midnight, he heard some loud noises coming from the entrance of the bus. He could make out Monet’s high pithed scream, Asia’s hearty laugh, and someone stumbling in heels – and he was well aware that Giovanni was the only one who would still wear some sort of heels even when he was out of drag.

His eyes shut instantly as he heard the door of the room opened in an almost violent manner. The strong smell of alcohol immediately entered Max’s nose, causing him to sneeze a little. He turned to his side, pretending that he was deep asleep. The other side of the bed sank deep as he sensed someone fell onto it clumsily. He then felt a small tug on his shoulder. 

“Um, Max I think we need to talk.” Max didn’t move. Giovanni’s voice was so close, the heat of this breath tickled the back of Max’s neck, making it almost impossible for him to stay still. 

“MAX! GET UP!” Giovanni suddenly went from zero straight to a hundred, shouting at the top of his lung, pushing Max’s back aggressively. 

“Gio…” Max sighed, he sat up, got out of the cover and leaned on the bedframe, quivering slightly at the sudden loss of the warm blanket. 

“Can we please talk?” Gio’s lips twisted into the familiar pout as he shifted closer to Max. the distance between their bodies was now definitely too close for Max’s liking. “Just for a minute, I’ll be quick I promise.”

“Ok, now you have 58 seconds, 57, 56…” Max crossed him arms, pretending to be annoyed as he watched Giovanni carelessly stripped off his jacket and threw it on the ground. 

“What is this? You, and me?” Gio lifted up his left hand and pointed back and forth a few times in the small space between Max himself. His other hand planted on the bed, desperately trying to keep his body straight, but failed miserably as his upper half started to slowly falling onto the bed. “What are we?”

“Gio, you are drunk.” Max chuckled softly, also swinging his finger back and forth just to mock the silly man in front him. “You, and me, we are, friends.”

“No, we are not.” Giovanni was half lying on the bed, he managed to catch Max’s eyes as he made the following statement. “I like you, like, l think I’m in love with you.”

Silence once again filled the whole room. Max broke the uncomfortable eye contact almost immediately, not knowing what to do with the sudden confession. It felt like years before Max found his voice again, shakily, “Gio, I don’t think you mean…”

“Oh my god I’m so drunk.” Gio interrupted, clearly not hearing anything Max just said. He slammed his body on the other side of the bed before covering his face with his hands. “Max, the room is spinning.”

Max however, no longer found the drunk Gio entertaining anymore. His mind stopped since the words “I’m in love with you” left the other man’s mouth.

This felt way too familiar. The first time that Gio kissed him, he clearly had too much to drink. And now he was over here confessing his love for him while being drunk out of his mind? A mixed feeling of anger and confusion started to slowly rise in Max’s chest. Surely Giovanni was not serious about any of this. Even though for a split of second Max wanted to believe that Gio actually had feelings for him. _But he’s so young, so talented, so amazing that he couldn’t possibly want to be with someone who was a complete loser._ Max told himself, convincing himself that all the reasons he had for holding his feelings back were valid; and all the effort he put in to avoid the young man would for sure save him from being heart-broken again at the end of the day. 

Max took a one final glance at the younger man, who was now lying on the bed, hands still on top of his face, before deciding that the best thing to do was going back to sleep. He readjusted the blanket, making sure that both of them were under cover. He then rolled over to the edge of his side, creating more than enough space between the two of them.

“Max, can you turn around?” Max heard the younger man slurred just before he was about to fell asleep. He hesitated, but eventually did as asked since he preferred not to have this drunken man yelling again and waking up the entire bus. 

Once he turned around, the taller man found his way to Max’s warm body. Giovanni wrapped his arm around Max waist to close the distance between them, resting his head in Max chest so effortlessly, like he had done this a million times. 

“Better.” Gio let out a sigh of content before drifting into a good night of sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think - leave a toot a boot a comment, anything. Also I'm going to see Aquaria perform next week in Australia and I'm super excited!!


	5. The After Show

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well what can I say I'm literally the slowest writer in the world I'M SO SORRY.
> 
> This is a slightly longer chapter though hope you all like it!

Max woke up, catching himself almost falling off the bed. The other bed owner, on the other hand, had shamelessly taken more than three quarter of the space, having both his arms thrown above his head, and legs wide spread to maximise his territory. Max spent a good minute staring at the sleeping man, noticing his face all scrunched up like he was having a bad dream. He extended his hand, lightly tracing the outline of the his face, attempting to smooth out the frown lines between his brows. 

Max couldn’t stay mad for long, at least not at Giovanni. And even though he would never admit to anyone, last night while having Giovanni in his arms, was one of the most restful sleeps he had in years. He grabbed his phone that had fell on the floor at some point during the night, realising it was not even 7 in the morning. 

He made his way out of the room, quietly shutting the door behind him. It seemed that everyone was still deep asleep, the only audible sound was Asia’s occasional snore, which was rather endearing than annoying in the early morning. 

Exiting through the front entrance of the bus, Max was surprised to see that someone was actually up having a cigarette. He walked over and sat next to the man blowing smoke rings.

“Good morning.” Dane put out the cigarette on the rock next to it, a warm smile displaying on his face. “How was your sleep?”

“It was alright.” Max shrugged, trying to look casual. “I’m just not used to share a bed with someone.”

“Ha, was Gio snoring? Grinding his teeth? Sleep talking?” Dane joked as he lighted the another cigarette, inhaling deeply before letting the smoke escape from his lung. “I’m so glad I’m not sharing my bed with anyone.”

“Nah, none of those. But he’s definitely not the most graceful sleeper.” Max chuckled at the image of the younger man spreading all over the bed . “How much did you guys drink last night?”

“He was actually the only one who drank.” Dane let out a small laugh. “Gio drank so much so fast, it was almost like he needed to get drunk, like he needed the liquid courage to do something.”

Max didn’t say anything back. The situation seemed to get too complicated for his liking. So what if Giovanni actually liked him? They would never be good together, there were just so many differences between them, their ages, in personalities – Giovanni was a free spirit, talented and confident, meanwhile he was someone who got paranoid at every little thing. Resting his head on the smoking man’s shoulder, Max had decided to drop whatever happened last night once and for all for his own good. 

A few hours later, in the room at the very end of the bus, the pale man finally woke up to a cracking headache. He opened his eyes slightly only to shut immediately at the beaming daylight. He searched the bed with his arms, making sure that his roommate had left, before rethinking what happened last night.

He was drunk, but definitely not that drunk, though he might have acted drunker than he was, on purpose. He remembered everything – every single word he said to max; he remembered the look on Max face as he mentioned the word “love”, he remembered himself interrupting Max, acting stupid because he panicked, after realising that the older man would never feel the same way, saying the same words back to him. 

Now with his heart aching and head pounding, he’s going to have to pretend that all of that was simple a drunken mistake. Because that’s the only way for him to remain as a friend to Max. And that’s all he needed at the moment. 

How fucking pathetic. Giovanni cursed under his breath, almost wanting to slap himself across his face. 

The sudden noise his stomach made reminded him that he hadn’t had any food since last night. Though the thought of food was not particularly appetising thanks to the after effect of the alcohol, he got out bed, pulling a random hoodie over his head while slam opening the door grumpily, and immediately realising that everyone was in the kitchen, only meters away, and now all turned to his direction.

“Well, well, well.” Asia poured some ice cold water and passed it to Giovanni. “Look who finally got up, had too much fun last night huh?”

“Oh shut up, I knew I was being stupid.” Giovanni mumbled before gulping down a whole glass of water, feeling somewhat better. “Or you know, just being me. I honestly don’t remember a thing.”

“Girl you were literally singing all the way home do you not remember?” Monet teased. “And Cracker, what did he do after going back to your room? We heard him screaming and thought he might have murdered you.”

“Yeah, he yelled, and…” 

Giovanni’s breath hitched at Max’s sudden pause in the middle of the sentence. His grip around the glass tightened – Surely Max isn’t going to reveal to everyone that he’s got a crush on him, or is he?

“And then he just passed out because he was that drunk.” 

Giovanni let out a sigh of relieve. But inside his heart ached just a little more. Max obviously didn’t take his words seriously from last night, so there’s no need for him to put on a show and keep going on about how drunk he was, pretending how much he didn’t mean to say those words.

He should feel lucky. He should be happy about the fact that their friendship was not jeopardised by whatever happened the previous evening. 

But he’s not. Giovanni felt sadder than ever.

*

The first show in Australia was more than successful. Sydney was truly a magical place – people here were open minded, genuine, and just full of positive energy. Tipping was a not a thing but the girls certainly didn’t mind – the exciting faces and small gifts during meet and greet, the loud cheering and singing along during performances were more than enough for them to fall in love with the land down under. 

And when Aquaria first appeared on the stage, the crowd went wild. She performed her regular numbers with a big smile showing on her face, her every move was precise and addictive to watch. Later she also interacted with other queens and did some silly dances in the end – just all the typical Aquaria things. 

So no one could tell how unhappy she was. That’s Aquaria, a true professional, someone who’s capable of hiding her emotions a hundred percent once the music hit the stage. 

Even though the second she got off the stage after the final song, she almost burst into tears. 

She went straight to the bathroom. Locking herself in one of the stalls, Aquaria finally felt safe enough to let her tears run down her cheeks freely. She didn’t quite understand why she was so upset – Cracker was not her first crush, it certainly wouldn’t be the last. In the past, there had been plenty people who she liked didn’t like her back; but there’s something about Cracker, something about her that had occupied every single inch of Aquaria’s heart, leaving no room for anyone else.

Maybe this was loving someone felt like.

“Hey Aqua, are you ok?” A small knock interrupted Aquaria’s train of thoughts. Asia’s concerned voice was on the other side of the door. “You’ve been there for almost half an hour now.” 

“Yeah, just tired and whatnot. Gonna go get a drink.” Aquaria opened the door and walked straight pass Asia without look at her eyes– because she knew that the older queen could for sure tell that she was lying , and she’s too emotionally exhausted to answer any more questions.

Not many people stayed after the show since it was only a Thursday night. The other girls had gathered at the bar and were chatting when Aquaria walked out of the bathroom, she immediately decided that she wanted to be left alone for a little longer. She went to the other side of the bar, ordered a shot, and downed it once it was placed on the table. She let out a few coughs, trying to adjust to the burning senstation running all the way from her throat to her stomach. 

“Another one please.” She waved at the bartender, pushing the tiny glass away, not realising the nearby seat was occupied by the another human being. 

“Oh my god, Aquaria.” The person next to her spoke in an Aussie accent, could barely contain the excitement in his voice. “My name is Max, and I’m Your. Biggest. Fan.”

Aquaria shuddered at the familiar name, slowly turning her head to the source of the voice, only to see a totally unfamiliar face; the boy in front him was about her age, tall, slim, long blond hair tied firmly into a rounded bun, and his got those big baby blue eyes that were currently staring at her nervously .

Cute. Aquaria thought.

But he looked nothing like the Max she knew.

“Thank you.” Aquaria smiled politely and reached into her wallet to pay for her second drink.

“This one is on me, and um-.” The man-bun boy spoke again, was clearly still overwhelmed by the fact that his idol was sitting here talking to him. “Would you like to, um maybe, come and dance with me? I completely understand if you –“

“Sure.” Aquaria agreed without even thinking. She finished her drink and took the boy’s hand, ignoring the unsettled feeling in her stomach. 

It’s time to move on. She reminded herself as she took one final glance at where the other girls were sitting, before giving her full attention to the boy who’s now awkwardly dancing in front of her. 

*

“…and you know, the funny thing was that…hey Cracker!?” Monet snapped her fingers in front her friend, trying to get her attention. “Bitch are you even listening to me?”

And no, Cracker was not listening. She hadn't heard a single word from Monet since she accidentally saw what was going on on the dance floor.

Aquaria, the person who kissed her, who claimed to have a serious crush on her, was currently dancing with a random guy. From where Cracker’s sitting, she could tell that the boy was getting real close. His hands seemed to touch Aquria’s waist every now and then, and Aquaria’s seemed to be more than fine with that. She proceeded put her hand around the boy’s neck to pull him even closer, pressing a small kiss on the boy’s lips.

What. The. Fuck. 

Cracker stood up, trembling as anger rapidly took over her body. But she also knew that she had no right to be this mad, she knew that Aquaria was free to do whatever she wanted. 

And on the dance floor, Aquaria was undoubtedly enjoying the infinite amount of affection she was showered with, she let the boy who’s now more comfortable took the lead and spin her around. Just for a split of second, Aquaria turned her attention to a certain place, unintentionally. 

And then she was met with the most infuriating gaze from Cracker.

Aquaria was startled. She froze on spot, without a single thought on her mind. She watched the emotions slowly changing on Cracker’s face, from anger, to frustration, to desperation, and finally, to utter hopelessness. 

It was when the older queen broke the eye contact, turned around and started to walk away that something became clear in Aquaria’s mind.

Maybe all her feelings towards Cracker were not so one-sided.

Maybe, just maybe, there’s a small chance that Cracker liked her back.

Just the sheer thought of it had Aquaria pushed the confused blond boy away almost aggressively before running after the small queen that had already disappeared from the club.

She needed to know now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are everything to me so please leave one!


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